Action Alert | Tell The Economist First Impressions Count, Because They're Missing Out

a screenshot of the registration page for The Economist’s “The best of both worlds? Making hybrid work” virtual event

The Economist will be exploring “how businesses are navigating a hybrid model of work” in an upcoming virtual event on September 23rd sponsored by Google Workspace, “The best of both worlds? Making hybrid work”. The event promises to convene “business leaders, consultants and thought leaders” to “examine how opportunities can be harnessed, challenges overcome and risks mitigated.”

Avenger Ami Dar identified a challenge that The Economist and its sponsor must face: there are NO WOMEN on the panel. You’d have to be hiding under a rock for the past year and half to know that virtual work has been particularly challenging for the advancement of women in the workplace… so, shouldn’t they be a key part of the discussion?

Well, luckily, Dar emailed The Economist to ask, “Is this event only for men? Or are women also welcome? That panel… In 2021? Really?”

The response: “Although there are no female panelists, women are definitely invited to register.” This was followed by a second email stating that two women panelists would be added to the session.

We haven’t seen a change on the event page yet, but kudos to Dar for raising the issue, and it’s good that The Economist acknowledged and will course-correct, despite their initially pathetic response. Remember, first impressions count!

Let The Economist know we’re watching:

📣🚨 Remind @EconomistEvents that first impressions count and women should be a part of any discussion around the challenges of hybrid work, because women’s voices are worth much more than an afterthought. h/t @amidar #GenderAvenger https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/action-alert-tell-the-economist-first-impressions-count